Sunday, 3 October 2010

Politicians flee angry crowds in Iceland

PROTESTERS took to the streets of Reykjavik, forcing MPs to run away from the people they represent as renewed anger about the impact of the financial crisis erupted in Iceland.

Reports The Guardian: "The violent protest came amid growing fury at austerity measures being imposed across Europe.

"Disruption in more than a dozen countries this week included a national strike in Spain and a cement truck driven into the Irish parliament's gates.

"Witnesses said up to 2,000 people caused chaos at the state opening of the Icelandic parliament, with politicians forced to race to the back door of the building because of the large number of protesters at the front.

"Eggs were said to have hit the prime minister, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, other MPs and the wife of the Icelandic president, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson.

"Árni Páll Árnason, the minister of economics affairs, who was caught up in the protests, said: 'We have a difficult economic situation and this is something to be expected in a democratic country'.

"Juan Somavía, director general of the ILO, said social cohesion would be at risk, adding: 'Governments should not have to choose between the demands of financial markets and the needs of their citizens'.

"The protests came in the same week as demonstrations in Greece, Portugal, Slovenia and Lithuania.

"According to the writer Hallgrímur Helgason, anger has flared in Iceland because of the increasing numbers losing their homes and fury that only the former prime minister Geir Haarde has been charged with negligence over the financial crisis. The parliament voted this week to charge Haarde, who has said he is confident he will be vindicated, but not three others facing similar charges.

An overwhelming majority of people are happy to be living in this industrial capitalist world. We know this because we are told it constantly.
How could we foresee a near future in which the hypnotic spell is broken, the scales fall from a billion eyes and those who say 'Enough!' are revealed, all of a sudden, to be a gale force wind of revolt, a tidal wave of insurgent delight sweeping all before it, a minority so vast it will change everything?